Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm the smallest of small-time collectors with just three pythons in my collection. But, the thought of Bill HR669 passing really makes me anxious/sad/angry, and I try to imagine what it might be like not to have pythons available for sale, trade, breeding and so forth. I also wonder what impact and repercussions such legislation would have on rodent distributors, pet stores, breeders, cage manufacturers, reptile shows, etc. This all just seems crazy-extreme to me.

I also wonder what would be mandated to happen with the animals we all own right now. I really can't imagine parting with my pets. Given the option, I'd gladly have them all micro-chipped and even pay an annual permit fee to keep them (my state doesn't require that yet).

I'm curious to hear from you breeders or large-scale collectors out there. Does HR669 have you losing sleep right now? Really, I'm just very curious because I'm finding all of this extremely unsettling, and I just don't know what to make of it. I'm not trying to start a hot political debate, but just wonder if anyone with livelihoods at stake here would be willing to comment.

Thanks for you willingness to share...

You should be concerned. This continual persecution is unsettling and the worst thing is that most herpers are slow and even unresponsive to these assaults. It is tiring, but then again they are relentless. HSUS and PETA are behind this with big bucks and little interest in negotiating. We need to respond and fight for our rights. Here in Illinois we have had several such attacks and luckily had several groups work to defend the attacks successfully. Do your part!
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www.richcrowleyreptiles.com
Support your local herp society
www.chicagoherp.org

Bill Nelson a letter also!

http://billnelson.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm

Be smart, write... be polite!

Matt
p.s. - I think it's a 100% non-enforceable (is that a word?!) law, but these knuckleheads could pass it.

>>I'm curious to hear from you breeders or large-scale collectors out there. Does HR669 have you losing sleep right now? Really, I'm just very curious because I'm finding all of this extremely unsettling, and I just don't know what to make of it. I'm not trying to start a hot political debate, but just wonder if anyone with livelihoods at stake here would be willing to comment.
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"Change what you cannot accept... do not accept what you can't change!"

Tod Ashley C.$.C.

Hum, on one side such a bill makes sense. On the other hand the vocabulary bothers me.

Pro: We have countless examples of non-native species becoming feral and decimating an ecosystem. I also have significant issues with the unregulated importation of species. As a collector I appreciate new blood lines becoming available, but unregulated importation has absolutely got to stop. Wanna buy a "normal" gravid female ball python for $29. Such transactions happen by the hundreds, maybe the thousands and to allow field collectors to cram huge numbers of reptiles in to a box and ship them into the US so they can make $12 on the survivors is a crime. If you don't think so you need to get a new hobby.

Con: "The List". This is where the bill might kill our hobby. Apparently blood pythons, ball pythons, GTPs etc must be on the approved list or we cannot move them from one state to another, nor can we sell them. I am not sure if I can breed them for my own purposes, but why would I if I couldn't sell them at all? So the bill seems to suggest the only we can stop reckless importation of a species is to kill the market totally. Surely, importation can be stopped without killing a harmless hobby that neither endangers our domestic flora and fauna nor has any significant effect on our economy. (there are lots of dollars changing hands but in the face of the economical wows we currently face the pet trade seems insignificant indeed!)

Questions:

1.Does this include aquarium type fish?

2.What about plants?

3.What about breeders importing West coast, eastern, desert type water spaniels from Northern Crimea? Does Congress have the brain cells to account for every species of non-harmless animal on Earth? (I doubt they can pour piss..........)Dog and horse breeders may be our best ally.

4.Does this stop us from caring for ball pythons that are CBB but allows us to have rattlesnake roundups? Which one is really the crime?

5.What about all of the Mexicans that are being imported for cheap labor? Surely they are doing more to harm our nation than my blood pythons?

6.Who do we call about this?

Steve

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Steve Frist

frists@rcs.k12.tn.us

I sat down and read the bill again, this time a little more thoroughly. It scares me. It reads as if somebody can just place animals on or off a list and we don't know who that somebody is, nor does it seem like they have any real concrete rules by which they make such decisions. Wow, talk about giving bureaucrats a free reign over us. It could be very bad for our hobby.

I sat down and wrote my congressman today. I hope he reads it!

Please write your congressman.

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Steve Frist

frists@rcs.k12.tn.us

Steve on your question and response. The passing of HR669 will be the end of the entire pet industry period not just the herpticulture hobby. No individual will be able to own any animal that is not considered indiginous to the country. That means birds, fish, reptiles, Mammals,nothing. I will say they were kind enough to allow us to keep what we already have, but you can't breed it sell it or transport it state to state or export. They did this so we would not bring in all of our animals to be put down, that would make the animal rights groups behind this bill look bad. If you want to know more become a member of USARK,if you are not already.